Planoqraph co



M. L. CRAWFORD.

.PHESS.

AP'PLICATIOH FILED OCT, 31. 1918.

( I I n Ewe 0 0 y Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA P AAAAAAAAA 1 c lllllllllll T0 atbozneqqh M. L. CRAWFORD.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 3h |9|3- I 1 ,3 1 7, 354., Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

5 SHEE1S-SHEET 2. x W

I GCW M, L. CRAWFORD.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. 1918.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

5SHEETSSHEET 3- THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D 04 M. L. CRAWFORD.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1918. 1,317,354; PatentedSept. 30,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- 32w 21.2. 134 :21 y as glvwenkw:

atrowww M- L. CRAWFORD.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr.31.191s.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

5 SHEETS,SHEET 5.

QQQ QQQQB QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQ THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,. WASHINGTON. D. c.

MARQUIS LAFAYETTE CRAWFORD, 0F OSCEOLA, ARKANSAS.

PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed October 31, 1918. Serial No. 260,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARQUIS LAFAYETTE CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola, sippi and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to improvements in presses and more particularly to those for expressing oil from seedssuch for instance as cotton seed. Hydraulic presses as now commonly employed are of the vertical type and by reason of their construction and mannor of operation more or less time is consumed in charging, operating and removing the calre therefrom. Again, under the methods now commonly employed the life of the press cloths is limited and inasmuch as it is expensive to a greater or less degree, the re placement thereof becomes quite an item in the operating charge.

The present lnvention has for its main object the production of a plant involving means for quickly charging the press boxes, which boxes when charged -may be moved along a track or way into operative position with the pressure exerting mechanism or ram. A further object of the invention resides in the formation of a press box in such manner that the cloth employed therein will be conserved, that is, it will not be subjected to: undue strain or stress at any portion thereof which would tend to disrupt or tear the same.

A still further object resides in so constructing the boxes that the cloth may be readily removed from the box proper, this being accomplished by securing the cloth to a foraminous plate which is removably attached to the box body. With these and other objects in view, reference will be had to the annexed drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus, the carriage upon which the boxes are mounted and carried being shown in the charging position;

Fig. 2- a transverse vertical sectional View on the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of the carriage and its. boxes and the charging apparatus;

Fig. i a similar view of the ram or pressure mechanism;

Fig. 5 an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view of the press boxes and allied parts the upper valve or-closure for the box being open and thebottom one closed;

in the county of Miss1s- Fig. similar view showing the upper valve closed and the ram advanced to the position of. compression;

Fig. 7? a horizontal sectional view on the.

line VHVII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 a perspective view of oneof the press boxes or forms, with one of the cloth supporting plates removed;

Fig. 9 a face view of the lower portion of one of said boxes ;v

Fig. 10. a transverse sectional view on the line X-X of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 a detail view of a modified form of closing means for the. press boxes.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 10,v there is provided a suitable track or way 1 which extends in front of a charging platform 2 and between the ram 3 and a head block 1. The platform 2 has mounted thereon a cylinder 5, the piston rod 6 of which is. attached to a hopper 7 provided with rollers 8 which find their support on tracks 9 mounted on the platform and alining tracks 10 mounted, on the upper face of the press box carriage 11. The tracks 9 are preferably mounted on a slidable. member 12. sustained by the platform 2 which member may be adjusted endwise through the operation of a pinion 13 meshing with a rack 1d, Fig. 3, so that the said track sections 9 may bedrawn away sllghtly from the press box carriage When the same 1s charged and lsready tobe moved along the way 1 front of the ram 3. At

such time the charging hopper is likewise retracted and rests upon such track sections. A sliding platform or guard 15 is connected to the hopper and extends rearward'ly therefrom being guided in ways formed in the platform. 2., The hopper is designed to. deliver the material to be. pressed into. the press boxes which stand below thesame and as the hopper is moved successively overone or an' othero-f the boxes or the charge receiving chamber thereof, the material will be fed to. the hopper in any suitable manner. The carriage 11 may be said to comprise two open end frames 16 and 17, a bottom plate 18, having a plurality of openings 19 therein, one for each compression chamber, and a corresponding top plate 20 having corresponding openings 21.

A slide valve 22 common to all the open-.

'ings 19 overlies the bottom plate 18 and is adapted to be shifted to open or close the openings through any suitable means such, for instance, as a lever 23, one end of which is pin-jointed to the slide, see Fig, 7. A similar slide valve 24 operable through a lever 25 is provided for opening and closlng the openings 21. The end frames 16 and 17 go held in spaced relation by the rods 26,

llllounted between the upper and lower slide valves is a series of press boxes or blocks, the construction thereof being best shown in Figs; 5 to 10 inclusive. Each block except the outermost ones may be said to comprise a body 27 having rabbeted ed es 28 adjacent one face and a pair of vertically disposed wings 29, said wings projecting outwardly from the other side of the body.

. The inner faces of said wings make a relatively close fit with the rabbeted edges or faces 28 .of the next adjacent box member, see Fig. 7, when the members are assembled. The vertically disposed'faces of the blocks are formed with vertical grooves or channels 30 into which, adjacent their lower ends, open ports 31, which in turn open into transverse ducts or channels 32. 'Each of the opposite faces of the block is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed grooves or guide-ways 33, said ways preferably converging toward each other and being adapted to receive and hold a foraminous or perforated metal plate 34: the vertical edges of which,are beveled and adapted to fit the guide-ways 33. The width of the plate is such that when fully positioned its lower edge will be flush with the lower end of the body 27, 01, in other words, will be flush therewith.

To the outer face of eachplate is secured a cloth or felt 35, rivets or other equivalent means being employed to fasten the same in place. The outermost box elementis designated by 36, see Fig. 5, and while its inner face is formed as are the other members, that is, is grooved and provided with wings, etc, the outer face is plain and is adapted to contact the abutment a when the parts are in pressing position. v I

The innermostbox member designated by 37 is also provided with one grooved face only its outer face having a block '38 which stands in line. with the ram' head The various box elements; are held against undue separation by a plurality of slotted links 39 which are secured to the box bodies by suitable fastening means 40, the links sliding thereon and permitting the box elements to telescope under pressure applied by the ram. The links are, however, so proportioned that when the elements are separated to the fullest extent, allowed the wings 29 still overlap the rabbeted faces 28, see Fig. 7, and a box or chamber is formed between each pair of elements into which' the meal may be loaded or charged from the hopper 7, or any other suitable means. The abutment 4 will preferably be secured in rods a6 and its rear end is provided with a roller 47 which runs on a'fixed track or Way 48. A roller 49 located at the forward ram end bears upon the valve plate 22 when the :liillll is projected in the act of pressing, see

*ig. 6. a

Block 38 is provided with apair of eyes 50 adapted to receive hooks 51 connected by suitable means to head 3 so that when the head'is retracted the various box sections will be drawn apart or separated through the action of the links 39 and the chambers openedup to their full extent. The chain bers at'their lower ends will at suchtime stand in alineinent with their respective discharge openings 19 and the pressedwcake will be discharged therethroughupon a retraction or opening of the valve member 2:2. After the variousbox chambers are charged and the hopper 7 retracted, the carriage 11 will be moved along the ways 1 in line with the abutment at and be locked in its proper relation thereto by: stop latches 52,

Figs. .1 and a, said latches being pivoted to the abutment 4, the latch at the left, Fig. 4, being initially turned down or inwardly and forming a stop for the carriage. j The movement of the carriage may be effected in any suitable manner. 1 In the drawings I have disclosed a simple way consisting of two cables 5354, the ends of which are attached. respectively, to opposite sides of the carriage, the cables passing over and about suitable pulleys 55 andabout drums '56 mounted-upon an overhead shaft 57.

Said shaft may be driven; in anysuitable manner, as, for instance, ,by a reversing clutch (not shown). The pipe connections for supplying the power medium to the ram cylinder are not illustrated, but preferably they will be such that a high pressure will beiemployed for effecting the forward pressing movement of the ram and a low pressure for retraction thereof. 7 7

From the foregoing it is thought that thev operation of the apparatus will be clearly understood. It is clear that'the cloths lying fiat as they do and being supported or backed up over their entire surface without any bend therein are not subjected to undue strain and their life will be'materially prolonged over the cloths as they are now commonly employed in the usual hydraulic ing slide valves, as above set forth, I employ pivoted valves. Said valves may be said to comprise blocks 61 secured to plates 62 which plates are coextensive of the press boxes there being a block 61 for each of the feed openings through which the material is introduced and finally discharged when compressed. Said plates are connected to counter-weighted levers 63. A suitable latch mechanism, not shown, may be employed to hold them either in open or closed position.

Any suitable means may be employed for catching or gathering the oil or liquid expressed.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a carriage; a plurality of telescoping boxes mounted thereon and having vertically disposed openings adapted to receive the material to be compressed; means located above said boxes for charging the same; a ram adapted to exert pressure on the boxes, said ram being located to one side of the charging means; and means for shifting the carriage into operative position with the ram.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, the. combination of a carriage; a plurality of vertically disposed telescoping boxes mounted thereon; means located above said boxes for charging the same; a ram; a

fixed abutment opposite said ram; and a way upon which the carriage is mounted, said way extending from said charging means to and between the ram and abutment.

8. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a carriage; a plurality of vertically disposed telescoping charge-receiving boxes mounted thereon; a hopper located above said boxes; means for moving said hopper to charge the boxes; a ram; a fixed abutment opposite said -ram; a way upon which the carriage is mounted; said way extending from the point of charging: to and between the ram and abutment; and means for moving the carriage along said way.

4. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a carriage; a plurality of vertically disposed telescoping charge receiving boxes mounted thereon and forming charge receiving chambers open at the top and bottom; valves for closing said chambers; means located above the chambers for charging the same; a ram adapted to telescope the boxes and thereby exert pressure on the material in the chambers; con nections between said ram and boxes for retracting the latter from their telescoped position upon retrograde movement of the ram; and a way upon which the carriage is mounted, said way extending from the charging means to a point in line with the ram.

5. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a carriage; a plurality of telescoping charge receiving chambers open at the top and bottom; a valve common to the top openings and a second valve common to the bottom openings; means movable over the chambers to successively charge the same while the chambers are in their extended position and the upper valve open; a ram; a fixed abutment opposite the ram; and a way or track extending from the charging means to and between the ram and the fixed abutment.

6. A press box comprising in combination a body section provided with grooves to receive the materials expressed; a perforate plate having a sliding connection therewith and a cloth secured to the plate.

7 A press box comprising in combination a body section having a grooved face and oppositely disposed and converging guideways; a perforate plate adapted to fit in said ways and to overlie the grooved face; and a cloth secured to said plate.

8. A press box element comprising a body section having oppositely disposed outer grooved faces with a pair of converging guideways adjacent each face, said grooves opening into drainage channels extending outwardly beyond one face, while the body adjacent the other is rabbeted at each side; a perforate plate mounted in each pair of guideways; and a cloth secured to the outer face of each plate.

9. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a plurality of telescopie boxes forming charge receiving chainbers open at the top and bottom; and valves for closing the open ends of said chambers, each of said valves comprising a plate coextensive of the boxes and pivotally mounted to one side thereof, and blocks carried by said plates and adapted to enter the openings at the ends of the chambers to close the same.

10. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a plurality of telescopic boxes forming charge-receiving chambers open at the top and bottom; and valves for closing the open ends of said chambers, each of sald valves comprising a plate coextensive of the boxes, a plurality of blocks secured thereto and adapted to enter and close the openings of the press chambers, and a counter-weighted lever pivoted to one side of the boxes and connected to the plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MARQUIS LAFAYETTE CRAWFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

